Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Durres Cost of Living Comparison Between Lisbon and Durres

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,296 in Lisbon versus $1,179 in Durres.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in Lisbon versus $1,788 in Durres.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,457 in Lisbon versus $2,396 in Durres.

Living in Lisbon is roughly 95% more expensive than in Durres, driven mainly by Eating Out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Lisbon is 68% above, Durres is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 €15.32

$10.60 ALL 840

65.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.9 €54.8

$38.30 ALL 3,037

64.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.58 €10.09

$10.50 ALL 833

10.29%

Cappuccino

$3.10 €2.70

$2.08 ALL 165

49.04%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 €2.17

$2.05 ALL 162

21.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 €1.52

$1.03 ALL 81.5

68.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.48 €3.03

$3.13 ALL 248

11.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 €3.00

$4.50 ALL 357

-23.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 €1.00

$2.20 ALL 175

-47.73%

White Bread (500g)

$1.91 €1.66

$1.09 ALL 86.8

75.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.50 €1.31

$2.38 ALL 189

-36.97%

Eggs

$3.98 €3.47

$3.97 ALL 315

0.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 €11.58

$12.95 ALL 1,027

2.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.01 €6.98

$7.93 ALL 629

1.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.04 €15.72

$15.04 ALL 1,193

19.95%

Apples (1kg)

$2.35 €2.05

$1.18 ALL 93.5

99.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 €1.52

$2.45 ALL 194

-28.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.85 €1.62

$1.59 ALL 126

16.35%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.55 €2.22

$1.34 ALL 106

90.30%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 €1.61

$0.87 ALL 69.2

111.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.10 €1.83

$0.96 ALL 76.1

118.75%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 €1.29

$1.27 ALL 101

17.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.82 €0.71

$0.72 ALL 57.0

13.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.10 €6.18

$4.43 ALL 351

60.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.91 €5.15

$11.44 ALL 907

-48.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.31 €1.15

$1.52 ALL 120

-13.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 €1.86

$2.09 ALL 166

1.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.36 €2.05

$0.52 ALL 41.43

353.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$46.62 €40.61

$19.12 ALL 1,516

143.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.08 €3.55

$3.79 ALL 300

7.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.14 €0.99

$2.55 ALL 202

-55.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.09 €14.89

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.31 €2.01

$2.26 ALL 179

2.21%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.1K €29.7K

$16.1K ALL 1.3M

112.19%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$41.4K €36.0K

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$169 €147

$98.0 ALL 7,773

71.92%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$19.33 €16.84

$17.04 ALL 1,351

13.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$33.51 €29.20

$17.04 ALL 1,351

96.65%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.84 €42.55

$41.99 ALL 3,329

16.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.43 €16.93

$61.9 ALL 4,907

-68.61%

Cinema Ticket

$9.57 €8.34

$7.51 ALL 595

27.43%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$696 €606

$188 ALL 14.9K

270.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K €15.1K

$4,691 ALL 372.0K

269.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$105 €91.7

$39.91 ALL 3,164

163.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.75 €41.60

$41.87 ALL 3,320

14.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 €87.6

$90.8 ALL 7,196

10.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 €108

$166 ALL 13.1K

-24.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,662 €1,448

$459 ALL 36.4K

262.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 €1,086

$342 ALL 27.1K

264.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,965 €2,583

$716 ALL 56.8K

313.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,049 €1,785

$472 ALL 37.4K

334.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,834 €6,825

$1,835 ALL 145.5K

326.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,464 €3,889

$1,155 ALL 91.6K

286.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,632 €1,421

$969 ALL 76.8K

68.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.78

5.25

-28.00%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Lisbon: September 12, 2026

Last update for Durres: September 12, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,662 in Lisbon and $459 in Durres. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lisbon pays 68% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $63.0 in Lisbon vs $38.00 in Durres for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $277 vs $269 per month, with Durres cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Lisbon vs Durres: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Durres wins on cost – living expenses run 95% lower than in Lisbon. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Durres the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 68% higher in Lisbon, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,662 in Lisbon versus $459 in Durres. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,296 per month in Lisbon versus $1,179 in Durres – a 95% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Durres runs roughly 144% less than in Lisbon. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,179 in Durres versus $2,296 in Lisbon, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Durres but tight or insufficient in Lisbon. The gap between the two cities makes Durres the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Durres delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,179 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Durres hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Lisbon and Durres are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Durres gentler on the wallet – expenses run 95% less than in Lisbon. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.